Harry Redknapp talked beforehand about never being too old to learn and for his Tottenham Hotspur players this proved to be a harsh lesson in the importance of killing off a game. Having made an exhilarating start and scored twice in the opening 18 minutes, through an own-goal and a Peter Crouch header, Spurs allowed the victory that seemed within their grasp to slip through their fingers as Hugo Almeida punished some suspect defending just before half-time to change the complexion of this contest.

Outstanding before the interval, Tottenham retreated after the break as Werder Bremen grew in confidence and the ubiquitous Marko Marin's influence grew. It was the Germany international who equalised shortly after the restart and, as an absorbing match became more and more stretched late on, both teams had a chance to snatch three points, with Crouch squandering an opportunity three minutes from time to secure Spurs the win that had looked a formality at times in the first half and would have given them such a wonderful start to life in the Champions League.

Instead Redknapp and his players were forced to accept the point that would have been gratefully received before the game but felt like a consolation prize after Spurs had played with such belief and composure for almost the entire first half, dominating Werder Bremen with their incisive passing and counter-attacking with menace. Had Tottenham registered a third goal then – and there were several chances to do so – Bremen would have been down and out but Almeida gave the German side hope when there appeared to be none.

It was no surprise that Tottenham's opening goal emanated from the excellent Gareth Bale. The Welshman had already exposed Clemens Fritz, the Bremen right-back, on a couple of occasions when he sprinted on to Benoît Assou-Ekotto's fine floated pass. With the Bremen defence backtracking, Bale delivered the perfect cut-back, skidding a low centre towards the six-yard box that left Petri Pasanen, who had Crouch breathing down his neck, with no option but to make contact; he turned the ball past his own goalkeeper.

Spurs were euphoric and things were about to get better still. Jermaine Jenas, who justified his surprise inclusion with a polished performance, fired a wonderful volleyed pass to Rafael van der Vaart on the left. The Dutchman took a touch before delivering a diagonal cross that picked out Crouch and, although the striker was some distance from goal, he met the ball perfectly, powering an emphatic header beyond Tim Wiese, the Bremen goalkeeper, and into the far corner of the net.

The 2,200 Tottenham supporters located at the opposite end of the ground were in dreamland. The only disappointment, if it can be called that, must have been that they did not have a third goal to celebrate soon afterwards as Spurs continued to cut Bremen open. Bale twice came close as he speared a low drive across Wiese that was clawed to safety before hammering another shot, this time from the edge of the area, that the Bremen keeper beat away.

Bremen looked listless but the lifeline that Redknapp later bemoaned came when Wesley was given time on the edge of the Spurs area to look up and float a high cross towards the back post that Almeida touched home after getting in between Ledley King and Assou-Ekotto. The marking was undeniably suspect but questions will also be asked of Carlo Cudicini's decision to stay on his line. There was no pace on the centre and Almeida was well inside the six-yard box when he made contact with the ball.

Bremen began the second half a different team and within two minutes of the restart were level. The warning signs were there seconds earlier when Cudicini tipped Aaron Hunt's shot over but Tottenham failed to heed them. Marin cut inside from the left and, as the Spurs defence backed off, Bremen's playmaker moved into the space that opened up in front of him before thrashing a low right-footed shot from about 20 yards inside Cudicini's near post.

Redknapp responded by replacing Van der Vaart, who had been so influential in the opening 45 minutes, with Robbie Keane but Bremen were now buoyant. Almeida made a rampaging run through the middle on to Torsten Frings's pass and managed to outpace and outmuscle King and Younes Kaboul. A third goal looked inevitable but the Portuguese blazed over from eight yards. Spurs benefited from a further reprieve in the 67th minute when Marin dragged another shot wide of the near post.

Spurs roused themselves in the closing stages and Keane and Crouch were agonisingly close to touching in Bale's cross. An even better chance fell to Crouch three minutes from time after a free-flowing move involving Bale, Keane and Wilson Palacios but, although the England international lifted the ball over the advancing Wiese, it landed just the wrong side of the far upright.